,^«=^%@@@#                                          #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@#                                          #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@#                                          #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@##                                          ##@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@#                                          #@@@%^=«^,
,,,,^^«^^@               WINDS ESKER                @^^«^^,,,,
,^«=^%@@@# «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« #@@@%^=«^,
,,,«===^@@                                          @@^===«,,,
,^«=^%@@## THERE WAS THIS PLACE  THAT FOR TWO YEARS ##@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@## I COULDN'T GO TO.  REGARDLESS  HOW  MUCH ##@@%^=«^,
,,,,,^=%@@ DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS,  OR POINTED OUT @@%=^,,,,,
,,,^««^@@@ ON MAPS,  I COULD NOT  THINK  OF IT WHEN @@@^««^,,,
,^«=^%@@@# ALONE.  I WOULD  OFTEN  TRAVEL  PAST THE #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# FORK, WHERE  A  RIGHT  TURN WOULD SURELY #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@@ TAKE  ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING @@@@%^=«^,
,^««====%@              KEPT ME AWAY.               @%====««^,
,,,,««=%@@                                          @@%=««,,,,
,^«=^%@@@@ WHEN I  FINALLY GOT  THERE,  AFTER  SOME @@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@#     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@## ASSUME,   THE  PLACE   WAS  SURREAL.  AN ##@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@@ ESKER, LIKE A NEEDLE-THIN  RIFT  OUT  IN @@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# THE  LAKE,  BUT  TEN  METERS  HIGH   AND #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# ADORNED IN BIRCH,  WILLOW, BRACKEN,  AND #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@##               BLUEBERRIES.               ##@@%^=«^,
,,^^««=^@@                                          @@^=««^^,,
,^«««=^@@@ WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO @@@^=«««^,
,,,^===^@@ NOTICE  THE VIEW TO  EITHER  SIDE. THERE @@^===^,,,
,,,,^«=%@@ SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I @@%=«^,,,,
,,,,,«^^%@ DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST  OFF,  THEY @%^^«,,,,,
,^«=^%%@@@ WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE  LAKE SHOULD @@@%%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# STRETCH FOR  A  HUNDRED  METERS MORE  ON #@@@%^=«^,
,,,««==%@@ BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW I  FELT  I  COULD @@%==««,,,
,^«=^%@@@# ALMOST  REACH OUT  AND  TOUCH  THEM. AND #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@@ THEN, WHEN I REALIZED  WHICH SHORES THEY @@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%%%%@           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           @%%%%^=«^,
,,,,^«^%@@                                          @@%^«^,,,,
,^«^%@@@## THEY WERE OF THE  RIGHT  LAKE.  BUT THIS ##@@@%^«^,
,^«=^%@@##       LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND      ##@@%^=«^,
,,,^^=^@@@ BIPARTITE. LIKE  A PAIR OF  LUNGS CARVED @@@^=^^,,,
,^«=^%@@## INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO  LESS THAN ##@@%^=«^,
,,,^«^^^@@   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   @@^^^«^,,,
,,,^«^%%@@      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      @@%%^«^,,,
,^«=^%@@@#    IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY     #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@## UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING MANY  MILES ##@@%^=«^,
,^^^«=%@@@                  AWAY.                   @@@%=«^^^,
,,,,,«^^@@                                          @@^^«,,,,,
,^«=^%@@@@ I  EXAMINED  THE   RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE @@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# ABOVE.  WAS  THIS WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, #@@@%^=«^,
,,^^^«^^@@ FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T @@^^«^^^,,
,^«=^%@@@#                REMEMBER.                 #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@#                                          #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# CARRYING  FORWARD, ON  THE  VERY TIP  OF #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# THE  ESKER, I  FOUND THE  RUINS  OF SOME #@@@%^=«^,
,,,,,,,«^@    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    @^«,,,,,,,
,,,,,^=%@@ MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH  @@%=^,,,,,
,^«=^%@@@# THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE  SLABS INSERTED #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@@ INTO  THE SLOPE  LIKE DAMS  AGAINST  THE @@@@%^=«^,
,,,,,^=%%@              GROUND ITSELF.              @%%=^,,,,,
,^«=^%@@@#                                          #@@@%^=«^,
,,^««^^@@@ SITTING THERE,  I  COULD  SEE ACROSS THE @@@^^««^,,
,^«=^%@@@@ NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO  WHERE I @@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# SAT:  FROM  THE STAIRWELL  OF MY  HOUSE, #@@@%^=«^,
,,^««=%%@@ THROUGH  THE  OLD WOODS BEHIND THE  TILE @@%%=««^,,
,,,^«=%%@@      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      @@%%=«^,,,
,^«=^%@@@# TWENTY THREE  AND THEN  BACK  UNDER  IT, #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# THROUGH  THE  FANCY  VILLAS,   OVER  THE #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# FIELDS, AND THEN THAT  RIGHT TURN AT THE #@@@%^=«^,
,^«^%@@@##                  FORK.                   ##@@@%^«^,
,^«=^%@@@#                                          #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@@ AND THEN  THE STAIRS UP  ON  THE  RIDGE. @@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# THINKING  BACK,  THIS  WAS PROBABLY  IT. #@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%%%@@ HIDDEN  IN  A GROVE,  THERE WERE  STAIRS @@%%%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@## MUCH  LIKE THE ONES I CURRENTLY SAT  ON, ##@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@@ OLD  AND  WORN  DOWN, THAT LEAD  YOU  UP @@@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@@# ONTO  THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD #@@@%^=«^,
,,,,,^««^@ I  INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT  ITS @^««^,,,,,
,,^««==^@@ FOOT,  I'M  SURE MY EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE @@^==««^,,
,^«=^%@@@@          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          @@@@%^=«^,
,,,,^^=^@@                                          @@^=^^,,,,
,,,,^^«^^@ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« @^^«^^,,,,
,,,^=^^%@@                                          @@%^^=^,,,
,^^^«==%@@ ON   THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE  IN @@%==«^^^,
,^«=^%@@## BOATS.  I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN  SEE ##@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@## ME?  IF  I SHOUTED,  WOULD THEY TURN  TO ##@@%^=«^,
,^«=^%@@##         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ##@@%^=«^,
,,,^^«=%@@                                          @@%=«^^,,,
,,,,^^=%%@                                          @%%=^^,,,,
,,,,^««^@@                                          @@^««^,,,,
,^«=^%@@##                                          ##@@%^=«^,
,^^^====%@                                          @%====^^^,